Saddle Shoes For Kids – The Best Classic Oxfords For Your Kid!

Most parents know what saddle shoes from owning a pair themselves or from purchasing a pair for their kids. However, there are a lot of moms and dads who still don’t know what they are! This style of shoe is required by certain schools as part of your kids’ school uniform.

Saddle shoes are low-heeled casual oxford shoes (hence the alternative name “saddle oxford”), characterized by a plain toe and distinctive saddle-shaped decorative panel placed in the middle of the shoe. Did you know that they make saddle shoes for both kids and adults? If you are looking for the perfect shoe for a casual yet polished look, this is the style for your child!

Private and catholic schools tend to require these shoes as part of their school uniform code. Saddle shoes are made by several different shoe companies, but I will show you which styles are the most supportive, durable, and popular among children.

Do They Still Make Saddle Shoes? – Functional And Popular!

Yes! They still make them, and they come in different widths, styles and colors!

Saddle shoes are still popular even though they were first introduced in 1906, and they can be worn by both boys and girls. The main reason why this style of shoe has been around for so many years is because it’s considered a functional shoe. Whether your child needs these shoes for school, church, or any other casual occasion, saddle shoes are one of the best footwear choices for kids’!

What Is The Best Saddle Shoe Style For Kids?

There are a lot of different shoe companies that make saddle shoes, and while they all might look alike, different companies make shoes differently Some saddle shoes are better made than others and provide more structure and support! In addition, some saddle shoes are made of better quality materials than others.

Some of the features that good saddle shoes provide are leather uppers, leather linings, padded collars, cushioned insoles and non-marking outsoles. Saddle shoes come in different widths, so even if your child has a really wide foot, he or she can still wear these shoes!

The brand that makes the best saddle shoes is called Footmates. I have fitted this style multiple times and parents love how sturdy yet comfortable it is. Perfect for those school days that your child is running around at recess. Trust me when I tell you that these shoes are COMFORTABLE, your child will be able to wear them all day with no complaints!

They have stood the test of both boys and girls! Both genders have approved of saddle shoes. They also have no scuffs and/or tears after being worn for a long time, and you know children are hard on shoes!

Jumping Jacks, Baby Deer, and Florsheim complete the list of the best quality brands that make saddle shoes.

Below a selection of the better-made, high quality, more supportive styles of saddle shoes for kids’:

Wide Saddle Shoes – The Solution To Your Kids’ Wide Feet!

YES they do! They come in medium and wide widths, which means that if your child has wide feet, rest assured that these shoes should will fit his or her feet. Remember that it doesn’t matter how well made or supportive the shoe is, if it is not fitted properly, your child will not benefit from all the great features that the shoe has to offer!

I always recommend that parents take their kids’ to their local children’s shoe store, where a shoe fitter will be able to properly measure their feet and find the perfect pair of shoes for them. However, a number of parents have contacted me asking me how they can buy their shoes online since they don’t have a local kids’ shoe store that they trust!

I wrote a post where I describe how to make sure your child is wearing the correct pair of shoes. You can find that post here:

Why Is It Important To Choose The Right Shoe Brand?

When choosing a pair of saddle shoes, you might feel overwhelmed by the different styles that different shoe brands have to offer. When parents shop for their kids’ shoes, they tend to compare prices and choose the most affordable one, which is understandable since everyone is looking to save some money! However, it is important that you choose shoes from a reputable brand that is known for making good quality shoes.

While working at the children’s shoe store, I have heard lots of different stories related to kids’ and their feet. I remember one story a parent told me that involved a pair of saddle shoes:

The parents bought a pair of saddle shoes online for their daughter that ended up hurting her feet. Apparently, the manufacturer used thick industrial staples in the construction of the shoe and one of the staples was not fully closed between the bottom of the upper and the sole.

After two days of use, one end of a staple pushed through the insole of the foot bed and left a small puncture wound on the bottom of the child’s foot!!!

This is a wake up call for parents to understand the importance of choosing their kids’ shoes carefully! The brand name was “School Issue.” This doesn’t mean that all of their shoes are poorly made, but definitely keep a close eye if you decide to order from this manufacturer.

The Best Saddle Shoes For Kids’ – Choose Them Wisely!

Before buying a pair of saddle shoes for your child, there are many factors to take into consideration such as the quality, the width, and the support the shoes have to offer.

I provided you with a description of the best styles of saddle shoes for kids’. Buying the right type of shoe for your kid doesn’t mean buying the more expensive ones, you just need to know which styles are better-made than others, to make the most informed decision. That way you can be certain that your child’s foot health is not being jeopardized by poorlymade or improperly fitting shoes!

Keep in mind that depending the brand and saddle shoe style that you chose, the shoes might stain or scuff! That’s why having a shoe polish at home might come in handy. I wrote a post about the best shoe polish brand for shoes called :

Does your child already owns a pair of saddle shoes? How about you, parents? Do you own or have owned a pair of saddle shoes? I am curious to see the mom’s and dad’s responses! Please share your comments below so we can all benefit from your experiences.

STOP BUYING THE WRONG PAIR OF SHOES FOR YOUR CHILDREN.LET’S START TAKING CARE OF THEIR FEET!

I created this webpage to help parents understand the importance that shoes have in healthy foot development and how they can prevent foot problems in the future.Join the rest of the parents who are taking care of their kid’s feet and get my guide for free: 10 Mistakes Parents Must Avoid When Buying Shoes for their Kids.

Join the rest of the parents who are taking care of their kids’ feet and get my guide for free: The 5 Most Common Mistakes Parents Make when Buying Their Kids’ Shoes

10 Comments on Saddle Shoes For Kids – The Best Classic Oxfords For Your Kid!

This site is great! You have so much information here that it’s almost hard to know where to start. I’m so glad to see that someone is doing a website like this because I have always felt that the first pair of shoes were the most important for any of my two children when they were babies.
I now have a grandchild who is almost two and running around like crazy at home in her socks. I told her mom that I would be happy to buy her first pair of shoes but that they needed to be fitted by a professional shoe source.
I have forwarded a copy of this site to her in hopes that she will read and understand what it is and how important those first shoes really are.
Thanks again for doing such great work. Extensive but needed.
Rene

My goal is to inform parents about the important role that shoes play when it comes to taking care of our kids feet. I believe newer generations are not informed, or don’t care as much, about the importance that shoes play in our kids healthy feet, legs, and backs. I know that the information might seem overwhelming at first, but my goal was also to create a webpage that will have every single answer a parent might have about their kids feet.

In the homepage, you can find a “search” option, where you can type whatever it is that you are looking for, and it will pop up.

Children’s shoes, the eternal dilemma, to buy expensive pair or two pairs but cheaper ???? I am the mother of two children three and six year old, and in the beginning I was very careful about all the features that you mentioned: quality of the shoe, the width and the support and these shoes are usually quite expensive. Children wear 2-3 months and need new because their foot rises. I think it is a good to buy quality shoes if you can afford it, because avoided later deformation of legs, wrong gait and irregular backbone.

I LOVE saddle shoes and was just talking to my sister who needs them for school uniforms. So, this was the perfect article to send her!

They last SO much longer than these canvas shoes they are always getting. They are also great for “hand-me-down” shoes since these kids grow so dang fast! I wear cowboy boots – so I am a huge fan of real leather shoes. They are getting harder and harder to find for children.

Thank you for posting the links – I did not know they came in other colors, the boys will be very happy with the blue and grey pair!

Most people don’t even know tat they still make saddle shoes! However, I wouldn’t recommend you using them as a hand-me-down shoe. I actually wrote a post about the negative impact and how you can compromise your kids foot health by using hand-me-down shoes, the post is called: Second Hand Shoes For Kids – Stop Hurting Your Child’s Feet.

I know children feet grow fast, that’s why it is important to measure their feet properly, to leave the proper amount of growing room for them.

Great website. I haven’t seen or heard of people with saddle shoes in for ever. The other thing that I noticed in the last few years because of my grandbabies is….I couldn’t find the white high top shoes that we started walking in that were referred to as walking shoes.
All the best to you.
Michelle

I know which shoes you are talking about, they are made by Jumping Jacks and they are the cutest shoes! We sell them at the store but I haven’t been able to find that particular shoe online.They are still popular as first walking shoes and also for children who need extra support around the ankles.

About me

I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for ten years at a premier children’s shoe store specializing in proper fit for over forty years. Every week I help hundreds of children find the best shoes to fit their particular feet. Bones in children are not entirely developed and if a shoe is not properly fitted, then the child’s body’s biomechanics can be altered. It doesn't matter what type of feet your kids have (narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide), there is a style of shoe that will work best for their feet, and you WILL find it here!

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